Harry Singhs – set the scene

Harry Singh explores how dentists and their teams can step up their game to help patients achieve better smiles in a safe and caring environment.

In the UK, we do not have legislation to prevent non-medical people delivering injectable cosmetic treatment. In theory, the likes of beauty therapists and aestheticians can offer such procedures.

In practical terms, thank goodness, reputable clinics and other well-being-focused businesses will only employ appropriately-trained health professionals such as dentists, dental hygienists and therapists, doctors and medical nurses to administer toxin and filler treatments. What’s more, botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so there is a limitation for non-prescribers.

Not only is it important who performs facial aesthetics, which is clearly a medical not beauty procedure, but also where it is done.

The environment needs to be clean and clinical, prepared for a medical emergency and meet CQC expectations, to name just three important aspects of being appropriately set up.

A winning formula

Sometimes practices worry about another clinic in the vicinity offering facial aesthetic treatment, but I think that’s fine. We are in the business of dominating, not competing. In other words, identify your unique selling point (mine was I had a fixed separate entity for the facial aesthetics in my dental practice and was, therefore, easily accessible and accountable for my services), look after your patients and you will find the number one referral source is word of mouth.

Adding to that winning formula, staff must be discreet and confidentiality is key. To achieve that, you need a dedicated and caring team with the right experience and training under their belt, and the ability to offer privacy from other patients, as many will not want their friends or acquaintances to know they have had work done.

Obviously, facial aesthetic treatment offers a new challenge, so I’m not suggesting it’s all plain sailing. Along the way, I’ve had to overcome a few issues, like other dentists saying we should not offer such services, unrealistic expectations from patients and limited patient budgets.

The takeaway point from this is it can all be overcome when you realise what fuels a successful facial aesthetics business. These are patient demand, passion for the treatments from the clinician, and five strategic components: marketing; sales; operations; finances; and talent.

Getting started

To climb the facial aesthetics ladder to success, think about the potential for patient demand in your area to ascertain if it is financially viable. If so, attend approved and accredited courses, such as those offered by the Botulinum Toxin Club (BTC).

A leading facial aesthetics training workshop for dentists, dental hygienists and therapists, doctors, and medical nurses, the BTC not only gives delegates the confidence and competence to deliver a wide range of facial aesthetics treatments, but also offers ongoing business support to fully establish the new revenue stream.

Once that is sorted, it is time to get indemnified, open a pharmacy account (or if you can’t, team up with someone reputable who can), and launch your new treatments, offering a healthy kickstart for the aesthetics arm of your business.

Harry Singh

Author at Dentistry.co.uk

Dr Harry Singh, BChD (Leeds), MFGDP (UK) qualified from Leeds Dental School in 1996.
As well as practising dentistry Harry started to invest in property. The profits from these property deals allowed him to buy into dental practices and set up two squat practices. Harry now runs the dental property club, visit www.dentalpropertyclub.co.uk